I am a girl that always overworks myself, over thinks, rarely makes any time for 'me time' and this often leads to overstraining myself to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. This is NOT good, and recently i have started to realise that i have to do something about this.

I became a mother at the age of 21, I then 6 months later decided to go back into education to college and then continued onto carrying out my degree. I become lost and overwhelmed with all the work load at University, I have currently just finished my second year at uni. It doesn't help also that I am one of those girls that pushes and pushes myself sometimes too far to stretch my abilities which causes me to overwork and feel overloaded.

Things become really stressful at times as i am sure any student can say particularly when you feel like you have a million deadlines all at once and i do panic about getting things done on time. On top of all this though I have also been working part time, it may not sound a lot being a mum, working and student but trust me its hard and at times i am not going to lie i do break down, but i choose this path. Don't get me wrong I do not hate the path I choose or regret anything, I am a girl who is ambitious, a believer and a hard worker and i believe i can get through anything and never give up and that everything will be worth it in the end.

Recently I posted a blog about 'Productive Procrastinator' about how i cope with my work overload and studies when I feel over stressed and i am procrastinating, its an interesting read. It has helpful tips which i often refer myself back to which helps to keep me on track.

I do not always use the best coping strategies however. I push my mental exhaustion to the side and try to forget about it and neglect it. I also find myself if i have 'days off' that i feel overwhelmed because i don't know what to do with myself and i forget about having some "me time" often, this is not healthy i have recently learnt. This strategy works for me, but its not good as it causes me to neglect other important aspects.

Self-love and Self-care are important qualities and something that can be difficult to learn and practice. However, i have decided to reflect upon these qualities and give them a go to better myself.

To start I thought that i should try and self-praise myself more, this is something that i rarely do and i feel would be good for helping me with my self-love and self-care. After all, praise raises. Here it goes, a list of a few things i can self-praise myself on and hopefully read back and feel good about myself:

I am always try to be happy and have a smile on my face.

I push myself to the limits (sometimes too much though).

I am organised.

Hard worker.

Sociable.

I am a mother and raised a beautiful little girl.

I would say that i am quite good at cooking.

I never miss a deadline.

I see positivity in all situations even if it looks bad.

I am not afraid to take risks.

I do not dwell on the past, the past is past.

I have managed so far to get all good grades in my degree.

I often admit when I am in the wrong.

I always try to make everyone happy (although sometimes this can mean i forget about my own happiness).

I always know what i want, and often know how to get it.

Recognising good aspects to praise myself on is good for self-confidence, motivation and self-esteem. It is also good to recognise your own flaws though, here are some of mine:

I talk way too much, like literally i don't know when to shut up, i talk just to feel silences and out of anxiety.

I can loose my temper quickly and be argumentative.

I do not spend enough time focusing on myself, my "me time" or my self-love and self-care.

I need more hobbies.

Self-praise is a good start to practicing my self-love and care. I have decided to try and do more of the following to help with these important qualities.

Go for a walk (even if its just on my break at work).

Do some shopping, treat myself.

De-clutter e.g. clear out a cupboard which hasn't been done in a while.

Listen to relaxing music.

Do some more work on my blog and write positive stuff.

Chat to a friend, or even better visit a friend.

Focus on a hobby I enjoy for a bit e.g. singing, taking pictures, working on blog.

This is a challenge i am setting for myself, to better myself and improve my self-love and self-care and to help me through times where i feel overworked, overwhelmed and stressed. Hopefully reflecting back to this post will help me through those times.

I would love to here some of your self-praises and advice and tips on how you practice self-love and self-care ...